New classes of antifungal agents are needed to address the growing resistance of fungi to present therapies. Desirable characteristics for new antifungal products include activity against drug resistant organisms, reduced propensity for resistance development, greater biological half-life in humans, reduced liability for allergic reactions, and broad spectrum anti-fungal activity.
Screening and counterscreening of a small molecule chemical library have produced a number of antifungal agents. Certain of these compounds are rapidly fungicidal, with broad spectrum antifungal activity in vitro. The aryl and heteroaryl hydrazone, hydrazine and thiosemicarbazone derivatives of the invention have been found to have potent antifungal activity.